Baffle



May 15, 1951 J. MAYNARD 2,553,141

BAFFLE Filed Aug. 17, 1945 I N VEN To? l 3)/ JAMES Mq YAM/3D HnPQ/s, K/Ech; F6575@ c Hn/P/e/s Patented May 15, 1951 BAFFLE James Maynard, Hawthorne, Calif., assignor to Elgin Rowland Parker, Seal Beach, Calif.

Application August 17, 1945, Serial No. 610,918

(Cl. 13S- 37) 7 Claims.

My invention relates to bafiies and, more particularly, to a device of this general character which is adapted for insertion into tubular members such as tubes, pipes, flues, and the like. A primary objective of my invention is the provision of a baffle which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which is preferably fabricated froma single member or from a single strip of material. Another primary objective of my invention is the provision of a method of fabrieating a baffle of this general character.

It is frequently necessary to provide baliles in tubes, pipes, ues, or the like to restrict the flow of a fluid therethrough for various reasons. Conventional ballles frequently employ a series of baffle elements which are secured together' to provide a baille which will effect the desired flow restriction. The assembly of such conventional baiiles materially complicates manufacturing processes and appreciably increases the cost of the completed article.

In View of the foregoing considerations and in accordance with the primary objectives of my invention, I prefer to provide a baiile which may be fabricated by forming baille elements integrally with a member which secures the bafe elements together. I prefer to fabricate the baille by suitably cutting or severing the member to dene a baille element or a pair or baffle elements of the desired configuration and size, each of the baille elements having an edge which remains secured to the member. The secured edges of the baffle elements are preferably substantially parallel and are separated by a section or strip of the member. The baille elements may then be bent relative to the member and substantially parallel to the secured edges until the bame elements are substantially perpendicular. to the member. One of the baille elements is preferably bent in one direction relative to the member and the other is preferably bent in the opposite direction.

If a flow restriction greater than that offered by a single pair of baille elements is desired, the baile may be formed of a strip of material which has been severed to define a plurality of longitudinally spaced baille elements or pairs of baffle elements, the number of pairs of baille elements being determined by the flow restriction required ior a particular installation. The universality of application of the baille may be increased by severing the strip of material to define more pairs of baille elements than required to effect the vdesired flow restriction for a particular installation. Only enough of the baille elements need be bent relative to the strip of material to effect the desired flow restriction. The flow restriction offered by the baille may then be varied by varying the number of baille elements which are bent relative to the strip of material, or by varying the spacing therebetween.

Another objective of my invention is the provision of a baiile Which may be inserted in arcuate tubes, pipes, flues, etc., by forming the baffle of a exible material.

The objectives and advantages expressed by the foregoing general considerations may be' realized by means of the exemplary embodiments and applications of my invention which are described in the following disclosure wherein various other advantages will be made evident. The exemplary embodiments and applications of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, which. is for illustrative purposes only, wherein:

Fig. l is a partially-sectioned perspective View illustrating an application of one embodiment of my invention to a tubular member of circular cross section;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by the broken line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the broken line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view illustrating another embodiment of my invention; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating an application of my invention to an arcuate tubular member.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 through 3, a baille I is disposed in a tubular member II and includes a member i2 which is preferably an elongated strip o-f material as illustrated. The strip I2 is preferably cut along lines I3 in any suitable manner to denne pairs I-i and I 6 of substantially semi-circular baille elements Il, the balile elements Il each having a diametral edge I8 Which remains secured to the strip I2. The baffle elements Il are separated by a section I9 of the strip I2, the secured edges i3 of each pair I4 and I6 of baille elements I'I preferably beingv substantially parallel.

The baille elements Il of the pair It are bent relative to the strip I2 and substantially parallel to their respective secured edges I8 and are preferably bent until the baille element I 'I are substantially perpendicular to the strip I2. The elements I1 of the pair I6 are preferably bent in opposite directions relative to the stripv I2.

Each baille element I'I is preferably provided with an integral projection 2| thereon and as serve as means for securing the baiiie Ill to the inner Wall 21 of the tubular member II.

The strip I2 may be severed to define any desired number of pairs of baiile elements I1 in addition to the pairs I4 and I6 illustrated. If desired, the baiile elements I1 of some of the pairs need not be bent relative to the strip I2 as exemplified by the baffle elements I1 of the pair I4 of Fig. 1. Thus, if the restriction to flow in the tubular member II offered by the baiiie I0 is to be varied, such variations may be effected readily by varying the number of baiiie elements I1, or pairs I6 of bailie elements I1 which are bent relative to the strip I2. The unused baffle elements I1 of the pair I4 will not interfere with the operation of the bafile I0 and permit a greater universality of application thereof.

It should be noted that only the ends of the projections 2I on the baille elements I1 and the edges 26 of the strip I2 engage the inner Wall 21 of the tubular member II. Since the engagement between the baiiie I0 and tubular member II involves only a small area, no part of the baffle I0 shrouds the inner wall 21, thereby avoiding accumulations of dust, soot, etc., thereon. Conventional baiiie constructions may include shrouds which engage the entire periphery of the inner Wall 21 and tend to encourage the accumulation of dust and soot which may be carried by the slow-moving boundary layer of a fluid within the tubular member II. The baille ID avoids the encouragement of deposits of foreign material from such a boundary layer by permitting the employment of a smooth inner Wall 21 which is substantially free from projections that tend to accumulate foreign matter.

It will be understood that the width of the strip I2 may be varied for usewith tubular members II of various sizes and that the size of the baffle elements I1 may also be varied relative te the strip I2.

igurations such as circles, squares, etc., and the configurations of the baille elements I1 may alsov be varied to meet the requirements of a particu.-

lar installation. It will be apparent that the flowY restriction offered by the baille IB may also be varied by varying the angles of the baiiie elements I-1 relative to the strip I2. 'Ihe baiiie I!!Y may also be used in any passageway to divert a iiuid toward or away from the walls thereof, the angles of the baiile elements I1 relative to the strip I2 being such that the desired diversion of the uid.

is achieved.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated'v in Fig. 4 includes a baiile 30 which is disposed in al tubular member 3i. Therbaiiie 3U includes a member 32 which has been severed in a manner similar to that previously described to define rectangular baiiie. elements 33. The balile elements 33 are bent relative to the member 32 in a similar manner and the edges 3470i the' member.v 32 and the corners 36. of the baiile elements33 .engage the inner Wall 31'-o'fthetubu- The baffle Il! may be employed with tubular members of various cross-sectional con-' 4 lar member 3I to position and secure the bafe 30 therein.

The baiile shown in Fig. 5 and designated by the numeral 40 is formed of a flexible strip 4I which may be bent readily to permit insertion of the baiiie 4B into an arcuate tubular member 42. The baille 4I! is provided with a plurality of baille elements 43 which are fabricated as previously described.

The various embodiments are fabricated by severing the members or strips of which the baiiies are formed in any suitable manner to denne baille elements of the desired shape and size. The strips or members may be severed to defineV the baifle elements by a stamping operation, for example, as is well known in the art. The baffle elements are then bent relative to the strips or members and, if desired, the

lbaffle elements may be suiciently thin to permit effecting the bending operation manually.

Although I have herein described various exemplary embodiments and applications of my invention, I do not intend to be limited to the specic disclosures contained herein since various changes, modications, and substitutions may be included Without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by my appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. As an article of manufacture, a member including a pair of bafe elements which are formed integrally therewith, each of said baille elements having an edge which is unitarily secured to said member, said secured edges being substantially parallel and being separated by a substantially rectangular section of said member, the sides of said substantially rectangular section being dened by said secured edges of said baiiie elements, and each of said baille elements' being `bent substantially parallel to said secured edge thereof until substantially perpendicular to said member, one of said baffle elements being bent in one direction relative to said member and the other being bent in the opposite direction.

2. As an article of manufacture, a strip of material including a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of .adjacent bafiie elements which are formed integrally therewith, each of said baffle elements having an edge which is unitarily secured to said strip of material, said secured edges of said bame elements of each pair being substantially parallel and being separated by a section of said strip of material having substantially parallel edges which coincide With said secured edges of said baiile elements of said pair, and each of the baffle elements of at least one of saidpairs being bent substantially parallel to said secured edge thereof until substantially perpendicular to said member, one of said baffle elements of said one pair being bent in one direction relative to said strip of material and the other of said baille elements of said one pair being bent in the opposite direction.

3. A baiile comprising a central plate member having a pair of baiile elements extending substantially perpendicular therefrom on opposite sides thereof, said baiile elements being spaced apart in a plane normal thereto and being connected to said plate member along edges which are separated by a substantially rectangular portion of said plate member.

4. As an article of manufacture, a member having a pair of baffle elements formed integrally .1',l1'ere'with`,v che of saidbaffle elements being bent outwardly on one side of said member and toward one end thereof, and the other of said baille elements being bent outwardly on the opposite side of said member and toward the opposite end thereof.

5. A bafe comprising a plate member having a substantially semi-circular baille element connected thereto along its diametral edge, the diameter of said baille element being less than the width of said plate member, and said baille element having a projection thereon which extends radially from the circumference thereof a distance substantially equal to one-half of the difference between the diameter of said baille element and the width of said plate member.

6. A baille which is adapted to be inserted in a tube or the like, comprising an elongated strip having a plurality of baille elements on either side thereof, each of said baille elements extending outwardly from said strip a distance substantially equal to one-half of the Width of said strip measured normal to said strip, and the width of said strip being substantially equal to the internal diameter of the tube whereby 2 the edges of said strip and the ends of said baille elements engage the inner wall of the tube when said baille is inserted therein so as tc center said baille in the tube.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,096,272 Young Oct. 19, 1937 2,359,288 Brinen Oct. 3, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 109,888 Australia Mar. '7, 1940 

